To wait in a disabled parking bay?

[StrongerThanIThought76]

To clarify I am waiting to collect my mum from the hospital, it's nearly 10pm, there are 5 other empty disabled bays and I'm sat with the lights on and engine running until she appears. Have just had to move the car from another car park as it's closed, and the nearest multistorey car park is the far side of the hospital (giant city teaching hospital, a real trek) and I hope to be less than 10 minutes.

Would move the car in a heartbeat if it was needed by a blue badge holder. Haven't seen another car arrive since I started typing this!

This late and with other bays available, I think you’re fine. You’re willing to move if it’s needed so I don’t see the prob.

Normally I'd say YABU, but with 5 free spaces I reckon you are fine.

I think at 10pm and with five other spaces free you shouldn't worry too much.

If there is plenty of room for others in disabled bays, then I think that's fine. If it was the only disabled space so someone approaching it would think it full, even though you'd move if you were aware, that would be different.

Yanbu.

That's fine at this time. Knock your engine off though.

I would normally say very bad form to park in a disabled bay without a blue badge but with the circumstances you describe, ie you remaining in the car and able to move should it be necessary, I think you are fine to stay there.

Hope your DM is ok.

This time of night with lots of empty bays and nobody around, I think you’re fine. Have you checked the restrictions though, as our local hospital, you have to report your reg to the reception or call a number or you get a £75 fine.

But please switch the engine off if you're likely to be there more than a minute. My DS has asthma and in this weather he says he feels he can almost "chew" the fumes as they hang so heavy in the air.

So long as the engine is kept running and you move immediately if the number of spaces reduces below say 3 (should be unlikely at this time but you never know) then yeah, fine.

So the car park you are in has only 6 disabled bays and nothing else?

Tbh I am of the opinion that no badge means no park, there is no exemption for time or 'it's quiet'.

Of course it’s fine. You’d move if someone needed the space, and there would have to be an (unlikely) sudden rush for that to be the case.

Is your Mum ok? 10pm isn't a great time to be discharged.

So long as the engine is kept running

That would be unreasonable. Why pump CO2, NO2 and particulates into the atmosphere for no reason? Easy enough to turn a key/press a button.

Switch your engines off when waiting people :-)

I have a blue badge and I'd say it's fine OP,I hope your Mum is okay.

Knock your engine off. It's my biggest pet peeve!!

Of course it’s fine OP. If the other spaces fill up (unlikely now) then if course you should move but not while they’re all empty.

I usually say no badge, no park, because it's really soul destroying when I can't do something I want to because there are no disabled spaces due to lazy arseholes with no badges.

However in this situation, as long as you really would move if the spaces were needed, I'd say do it.

So long as the engine is kept running and you move immediately if the number of spaces reduces below say 3 (should be unlikely at this time but you never know) then yeah, fine.

Why 3? How very random. What goes wrong if only 2 spaces are left?

I'm disabled and only go out socially when supermarkets are open due to a bowel issue I have - when I have to go I have to go.

The supermarkets usually have disabled spaces closer to store (though a lot these days are pushchair spaces), which enables me as a very slow walker on crutches to get to a loo as quickly as possible.

That's on top of the obvious shopping at supermarkets, though I tend to use their wheelchairs as I can't manage to get round a larger one on my legs.

I have no problem with non badge holders waiting in badge spaces as long as they're happy to catch an obviously cruising badge holder's eye and offer to move as soon as they notice.

I won't wind my window down and ask as the last time I did that the driver flung his half-eaten burger at me and told me to fuck off. Nice.

Of course it’s fihe. You won’t be there long and the spaces are all ready for use. We had to do the same when rushing my little one into hospital as there was nowhere else to stop. Every hospital building should have loading areas outside for pick ups and drop offs - many people going in or out are not able to trek across a huge hospital site.

Oooh, I was going to say yabvu and pack it in, as a blue badge disabled woman myself who gets very peed off with drivers "just dropping off" or "waiting" but staying really ... in the only disabled bays so I can't fucking park

And I need that close parking spot, with room to get out of the car !

Until you said there are 5 other free disabled parking bays, it's 10pm and you're collecting your poorly DM from hospital and that you are prepared to move immediately if anyone needs it without question nor delay.

So whilst it goes against the grain (as some able bodied people generally can be dicks about how their busy lives are and ignore the barriers we face umpteen times a day), in this instance no YANBU.
(Eeek can't believe I said that! ).

Be prepared though, if it is an acute hospital,, You might get a ticket from hospital parking cameras though. Precisely for the reasons I said earlier, as they deal with selfish non disabled parkers, (not you OP who clearly aren't selfish not wanting to trouble anyone), all day long and have to apply the rules to prevent misuse.

YANBU, you're using your common sense. If it was during the day when the car park is busy then I would say YABU.

Ps I don't mind if a other didabked person parks in disabled bay and I can't park, but I get fed up when disabled bays are used as drop off waiting points by non disabled users . But in your case it's late they are empty and you are not leaving your car nor unwilling to move if someone disabled with dpb drives near.